Intentional Leader with Cal Walters

Take Dr. Norton's Ritual Quiz Michael Norton is the Harold M. Brierley Professor of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School. He has studied human behavior as it relates to love and inequality, time and money, and happiness and grief. He is the author of The Ritual Effect and the coauthor—with Elizabeth Dunn—of Happy Money: The Science of Happier Spending. In 2012, he was selected by Wired magazine as one of “50 People Who Will Change the World.” His TEDx talk, How to Buy Happiness, has been viewed nearly 5 million times. He is a frequent contributor to such publications as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and Scientific American, and has made numerous television, radio, and podcast appearances. In The Ritual Effect, Dr. Norton demonstrates the power of small acts—and how a subtle turning of habits into rituals can add purpose and pleasure to life. Compelling, insightful, and practical, The Ritual Effect reminds us of the intention-filled acts that drive human behavior and create sur­prising satisfaction and enjoyment. Learn from me: Check out my Discover Your Core Values Mini Course 

Get instant access to my new Discover Your Core Values Mini Course People love to keep score. Managers keep score of a range of business metrics: market share, revenue, profit margin, growth rate. In our personal lives, social media has us keeping score by likes and followers. These external scores are outcome-driven and serve as proof of our success—money, fame, material possessions, wins—but this constant chase for more validation often leaves us feeling exhausted and empty. In their new book, The Score That Matters, Ryan Hawk and Brook Cupps show that the internal score is what matters most—it reveals whether we are living in alignment with our purpose and values. It also measures how we are leading ourselves and others, prompting us to: Differentiate between the two scoreboards that run our life  Use our fear as fuel Avoid the poison of comparison Embrace the mundanity of excellence Regulate our emotional thermostat Create a mentality for attacking adversity Follow Ryan Hawk's work at LearningLeader.com  Follow Brook Cupp's work at Blue Collar Grit   

We used to think of failure as the opposite of success. Now, we’re often torn between two “failure cultures”: one that says to avoid failure at all costs, the other that says fail fast, fail often. The trouble is that both approaches lack the crucial distinctions to help us separate good failure from bad. As a result, we miss the opportunity to fail well. After decades of award-winning research, Amy Edmondson is here to upend our understanding of failure and make it work for us. In Right Kind of Wrong, Edmondson provides the framework to think, discuss, and practice failure wisely. Outlining the three archetypes of failure—basic, complex, and intelligent—Amy showcases how to minimize unproductive failure while maximizing what we gain from flubs of all stripes. She illustrates how we and our organizations can embrace our human fallibility, learn exactly when failure is our friend, and prevent most of it when it is not. This is the key to pursuing smart risks and preventing avoidable harm. With vivid, real-life stories from business, pop culture, history, and more, Edmondson gives us specifically tailored practices, skills, and mindsets to help us replace shame and blame with curiosity, vulnerability, and personal growth. You’ll never look at failure the same way again. Connect with Amy Edmondson: https://amycedmondson.com/ Follow Amy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amycedmondson/ Learn more about Intentional Leader: https://calwalters.me/ Watch Intentional Leader on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@intentionalleader_calwalters Support this podcast:  https://www.patreon.com/calwalters  

Subscribe to Intentional Leader on YouTube!  Link is here: https://youtube.com/@intentionalleader_calwalters?si=NgU1Ui98hTofWc2I On this episode of Intentional Leader, we learn from speaker, author, and pastor Clay Scroggins on how to lead when we're not in charge. The reality is that most of us have a boss or supervisor, so how do we lead through influence when we lack authority? Clay is the author of the best-selling books How to Lead When You’re Not in Charge, How to Lead in a World of Distraction, and The Aspiring Leader’s Guide to the Future. He holds a degree in Industrial Engineering from Georgia Tech as well as a Master’s degree and Doctorate with an emphasis in Online Church from Dallas Theological Seminary. For almost 20 years, Clay Scroggins served in many pastoral roles at North Point Ministries, a multisite church started in Alpharetta, Georgia led by Andy Stanley. Most recently, Clay served as the lead pastor of Buckhead Church, one of North Point’s largest campuses. Clay is a sought after speaker (that’s what he tells his parents) having worked with organizations ranging from the Dallas Cowboys or the staff at the White House all the way to Taco Bell or the Alabama Association of Tax Assessors. Clay lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with his wife, Jenny, and their five children.

The views expressed on this podcast and page are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the official policy, position, or endorsement of the US Army, DoD, or the US Government. I'm so pumped to welcome Brian Johnson to the podcast! Check out Brian's brand new book:  Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential Download the Heroic app for free: https://www.heroic.us/join Brian Johnson is the Founder & CEO of Heroic Public Benefit Corporation and the author of Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential. He’s 50% Philosopher + 50% CEO and 101% committed to helping create a world in which 51% of humanity is flourishing by the year 2051. As a Founder/CEO he’s raised $25M+, made crowdfunding history, and built and sold two social platforms. As a Philosopher/teacher, he’s helped millions of people from around the world, trained 10,000+ Heroic Coaches from 100+ countries and created a protocol that science says changes lives. He lives in the country outside Austin, Texas, with his wife, Alexandra, and their two kids, Emerson and Eleanor. As a Founder/CEO, he’s raised $20M+ and built and sold two market-leading social platforms. As a Philosopher, he’s served tens of thousands of people from nearly every country in the world with his Heroic membership and trained over 3,500 people from 90+ countries with his Heroic Coach program—which has been demonstrated through research to change lives. His YouTube channel has 225,000+ subscribers and 20 million views while his podcast has another 14 million downloads. He was also featured in the documentary Finding Joe on Joseph Campbell and the modern hero’s journey alongside Deepak Chopra, Laird Hamilton, Tony Hawk and the late Sir Ken Robinson. His podcast Heroic with Brian Johnson, which launched as the #1 podcast on iTunes, has been featured as the #1 Health podcast and has over 15 million downloads. In March 2021, with the support of 2,500+ Founding Investors from 75+ countries around the world, Heroic Public Benefit Corporation made history as the first company to close a $5M Reg CF equity crowdfunding as part of their $11M Seed round.

It's great to welcome Dr. Chevy Cook back to the podast!  Chevy was on the show for Episode 36, but a lot has happened since that interview.  We catch up on him finishing his PhD, serving as the speechwriter for the 25th Secretary of the Army, the Honorable Christine Wormuth, completing the Battalion Commander Assessment Program (BCAP), and taking command as the Battalion Commander of Headquarters Command Battalion at Fort Meade, MD.  Chevy also serves as the Executive Director for Military Mentors, a growing non-profit that helps elevate mentoring in the military and beyond.   Chevy also mentioned this book during the interview: The Power of Full Engagement by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz.  

Featured in top media outlets such as Forbes, CNBC, and Fast Company, Juliet Funt is a globally renowned keynote speaker, tough-love advisor to the Fortune 500, founder and CEO of the efficiency training firm, Juliet Funt Group. Juliet is the author of A Minute to Think, nominated for the Next Big Idea Club curated by Malcolm Gladwell, Dan Pink, Susan Cain and Adam Grant. She is an evangelist for freeing the potential of companies by unburdening their talent from busywork, and she has brought her powerful concepts to Spotify, National Geographic, Anthem, Vans, Abbott, Costco, Pepsi, Nike, Wells Fargo, Sephora, Sysco, and ESPN. Be sure to follow Juliet on LinkedIn and send her your questions/comments at juliet@julietfunt.com  Thank you for helping us get to 100 episodes!  

After graduating from West Point (where I’m pretty sure Doug was the #1 ranked cadet in our class in physical fitness, which is incredible, but I couldn’t get a straight answer from Doug on that fact), Doug commissioned as an infantry officer, graduated from Ranger School, and then went on to leave at several different levels at home and in combat.  Doug was awarded multiple Bronze Star medals, including one for Valor that Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld presented in 2011. In addition to being the Managing Principal for Cushman and Wakefield in Dallas, Doug also leads their Military and Veteran Programs. As you will see, it’s no surprise that Doug has been trusted with significant leadership responsibilities at such a young age.  His mindset is something we can all learn from.  We dive into how we has dealt with moments of failure and setbacks, key habits he focuses on for self-leadership, his top leadership principles, and much more.  As a book recommendation, Doug also mentioned Patrick Lencioni's book The Motive.    

It's great to be back after taking a few months off!  I'm really excited about all we can learn together in 2023!   Today I have the privilege of sharing my interview with Simone Askew. In 2017, she became the first African American woman to earn the role of First Captain, the leader of the Corps of Cadets at the United States Military Academy at West Point.  This is regarded as a major step in racial and gender equality within the United States military. She was also named by Glamour magazine as one of the top 10 College Women of the Year. She is also a Rhodes Scholar.  Askew earned a MSc with merit in refugee and forced migration studies from the Refugee Studies Centre and a MPP from the Blavatnik School of Government at University of Oxford. She also recently published her first book, Citizen Skyland, a compelling story of a young black woman finding herself, her courage and her legacy when the world needs it most.  If you'd like to learn more about Military Mentors and their upcoming event, The MMoment III, visit militarymentors.org.  

Download this free 12-page PDF to get 12 key ideas to make you a better leader today.   Cassie Mogilner Holmes is a Professor at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management. Cassie is an expert on time and happiness. Her research examines such questions as how focusing on time (rather than money) increases happiness, how the meaning of happiness changes over the course of one’s lifetime, and how much happiness people enjoy from extraordinary versus ordinary experiences. Across these inquiries, her findings highlight the joy that stems from interpersonal connection and paying attention to the present moment. Cassie’s academic research on the role of time in cultivating well-being has been published in leading academic journals, including Psychological Science, the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, and the Journal of Consumer Research, and earned her the Early Career Award from both the Association of Consumer Research and the Society of Consumer Psychology. Cassie was identified by Poets & Quants as one of the best 40 business professors under 40, and popular accounts of her research have been featured on NPR and in such publications as The Economist, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, and Scientific American.  Professor Cassie Holmes is the author of Happier Hour: How to Beat Distraction, Expand Your Time, and Focus on What Matters Most, which is based on her wildly popular MBA course, “Applying the Science of Happiness to Life Design.” Holmes is a faculty affiliate with The UCLA Bedari Kindness Institute, an interdisciplinary organization dedicated to the research, education, and practice of kindness. Previously, Holmes was a tenured faculty member and award-winning teacher at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. She has a Ph.D. from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business, and a B.A. from Columbia.

Commander of Special Operations Command of the Afghan National Army Haibatullah Alizai, took over as Afghanistan’s Chief of General Staff (the US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs equivalent) just days before the Taliban made a push into Kabul, after General Wali Mohammad Ahmadzai was removed from the post.  On this episode, he discusses his perspective on leading during the difficult moments in Afghanistan as the Taliban seized territory and the US troops withdrew from Afghanistan.  He reflects on lessons he learned as a leader and his hopes for the future of Afghanistan.  

On today's quick hit episode, Cal shares three keys to being a leader that's not about you.  If you’re interested in growing in your leadership practice and being inspired to think differently and unlock greater personal potential, we want to give you a gift. Just click the link below and tell us where to send you 12 Ideas That Will Make You A Better Leader In 2022.

Ryan Gottfredson, Ph.D. is a cutting-edge mindset author, researcher, and consultant. He helps organizations vertically develop their leaders primarily through a focus on mindsets. He helps improve organizations, leaders, teams, and employees by improving their mindsets. Ryan is currently a leadership and management professor at the College of Business and Economics at California State University-Fullerton (CSUF). He holds a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior and Human Resources from Indiana University, and a B.A. from Brigham Young University Ryan is the author of “Success Mindsets: The Key to Unlocking Greater Success in Your Life, Work, & Leadership.” (Morgan James Publishing), and Wall Street Journal and USA Today Best Seller. He also works with organizations to develop their leaders and improve their culture (collective mindsets). He has worked with top leadership teams at CVS Health (top 130 leaders), Deutsche Telekom (500+ of their top 2,000 leaders), and dozens of other organizations. As a respected authority and researcher on topics related to leadership, management, and organizational behavior, Ryan has published over 15 articles across a variety of journals including: Journal of Management, Journal of Organizational Behavior, Business Horizons, Journal of Leadership and Organizational Studies, and Journal of Leadership Studies. His research has been cited over 2,000 times since 2014. Take the Mindset Assessment here: https://s.ryangottfredson.com/mindsetassessment Take the Vertical Development Assessment here: https://ryangottfredson.com/vertical-development-assessment

Garry Ridge has 25 years of experience as Chairman and CEO of WD-40 Company. He is also an adjunct professor at the University of San Diego, where he teaches the principles and practices of corporate culture in the Master of Science in Executive Leadership program. Garry’s philosophy on company culture is based on Aristotle’s quote – “Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work.” Turning that into action, he believes that all leaders can create a workplace where you go to work each day, make a contribution to something bigger than yourself, learn something new, feel safe, are protected, and are provided freedom by a set of values and go home happy! He is passionate about the learning and empowering organizational culture he has helped establish at the WD-40 Company. In 2009, he co-authored a book with Ken Blanchard outlining his effective leadership techniques, titled “Helping People Win at Work: A Business Philosophy Called ‘Don’t Mark My Paper, Help Me Get an A.” A native of Australia, Mr. Ridge holds a certificate in Modern Retailing and a Master of Science in Executive Leadership from the University of San Diego. Learn more about Garry's work at https://thelearningmoment.net His top book recommendations: All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten  Infinite Game To Be Honest  Helping People Win at Work The Unexpected Learning Moment  Follow Garry on LinkedIn here!  

Would you like to partner with us at Intentional Leader?  Consider becoming a monthly supporter on Patreon.  Sign up here!   If you’re interested in growing in your leadership practice and being inspired to think differently and unlock greater personal potential, we want to give you a gift. Just click the link below and tell us where to send you 12 Ideas That Will Make You A Better Leader In 2022. Stephen Drum is a combat-tested Retired Navy SEAL Master Chief with 27 years of experience leading and developing high-performance teams.  He recently co-developed and taught “Warrior Toughness” training for The U.S. Navy, which fundamentally changed the culture of the Navy in how it trains and prepares young sailors and officers.  An in-demand speaker and consultant, who helps individuals and organizations develop leadership and performance strategies, so they can plan, prepare, and execute at the highest levels when it matters most.  He has trained and led U.S. and foreign partner special operations forces on high-risk and strategically vital missions across the globe, including combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.  During his Navy career, Stephen has personally trained thousands of elite military soldiers and Navy SEAL candidates, helping them succeed in severe training courses and overseas combat operations.

Sign up here to attend the MMoment II on July 23, 2022 in Alexandria, VA!  The MMoment is an intentional, purposeful investment in you by us, your team at Military Mentors, or MM for short (the spelling of the MMoment is a play on our name). Our version of an immersive experience, it is an intense, 1-day experience twice a year for ~50 national security professionals, both civilian and military. The MMoment is not just a conference or set of TED talks, but rather a reflective and interactive experience to inspire transformative leadership. Sabrina Dalton is the Director of Programs for Military Mentors. Military Mentors mission is to elevate, educate and facilitate mentorship for the military and beyond. In her capacity as the Director of Programs, she oversees the eMMissary Program, a leader development fellowship, and the MMoment, a one-day, intensive leadership conference in the DC area. Sabrina is a graduate of the University of Colorado, Denver and is currently pursuing a Legal Assistant certificate through the University of Oklahoma Law Center. Most importantly, Sabrina is a military spouse, homeschooler and a mother. She is married to Tyler, a US Space Force Officer, and together they have 3 children that bring light and joy to their lives. On this episode, we discuss: the MMoment II the backstory to her joining Military Mentors the inspirational leadership of Dr. Chevy Cook (the Executive Director of Military Mentors) her decision to be a stay at home mom some of the tough (and controversial decisions) that carry guilt and shame as a mom some of her key principles for success as a mom If you want to learn more about Command Sergeant Major (Retired) Bill Thetford (mentioned during this episode), you can read his bio here.   If you’re interested in growing in your leadership practice and being inspired to think differently and unlock greater personal potential, we want to give you a gift. Just click the link below and tell us where to send you 12 Ideas That Will Make You A Better Leader In 2022.

This episode with Patrick Lencioni is a great segue from the article released by Wes Cochrane last week titled, "Does Your Team Suck at Workplace Conflict?"  Read that article here.   Patrick Lencioni is one of the founders and president of The Table Group, a firm dedicated to providing organizations with ideas, products and services that improve teamwork, clarity and employee engagement. Patrick’s passion for organizations and teams is reflected in his writing, speaking and executive consulting. He is the author of 11 best-selling books, which have sold over 6 million copies and been translated more than 30 languages. His capstone book, The Advantage, is the pre-eminent source on organizational health. After sixteen years in print, his classic book, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, remains a weekly fixture on national best-seller lists. Released in 2016, The Ideal Team Player is a much-anticipated follow-up to his team book and also a Wall Street Journal best-seller. The wide-spread appeal of Lencioni’s leadership models have yielded a diverse base of speaking and consulting clients, including a mix of Fortune 500 companies, professional sports organizations, the military, non-profits, schools and churches. Pat addresses thousands of leaders each year at world-class organizations and national conferences. Consistently the top rated keynote speaker at major events, Pat shares his insights and inspires his audiences through his accessibility, humor and story-telling. The Wall Street Journal said he is "one of the most in-demand business speakers." Named in Fortune magazine as one of the ‘ten new gurus you should know,’ Pat and his work have been featured in USA TODAY, Bloomberg Businessweek, and Harvard Business Review, to name a few. Prior to founding his firm, he worked as a corporate executive for Sybase, Oracle and Bain & Company. Pat lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife and four sons. Pat is really excited about a brand new concept he and his team are launching this week called the 6 Types of Working Genius. This is an incredible tool that helps you and I identify what we are really good at and those parts of work that make us most frustrated.  Pat had me take the assessment and we discuss my results and his results.  We also dive into the organizational health movement, how to create what he calls “vulnerability-based trust” on your team, why the right kind of conflict on a team is a sign of health, and much more.  To do The 6 Types of Working Genius Assessment, click here

Hello my friend! I wanted to share a very short message today… As many of you know, I’m a lawyer in the Army.  And part of being in the Army (at least for what I do), means we move every few years.  During the month of June, my family and I will be moving from the area around Fort Bragg, NC to Charlottesville, VA where I’ll be teaching at the Army JAG School.  I’m really excited to get to work the teaching muscle and hopefully be a positive influence on the many Army leaders that flow through the JAG School.  So, if you have any must-do recommendations for Charlottesville or anywhere in Virginia, please let me know! You can shoot me an email to cal@calwalters.me. At least for the next episode (and perhaps more), I’ll be re-airing some of this show’s most popular episodes starting with my interview with Patrick Lencioni.  This episode with Patrick Lencioni is a great segue from the article released by Wes Cochrane last week titled, "Does Your Team Suck at Workplace Conflict?"  Read that article here.   Thanks for your patience while we’re packing up and then unpacking, getting utilities setup, and settling into our new community.  Thanks for supporting this show, and I’ll be back with some new episodes very soon.

If you’re interested in growing in your leadership practice and being inspired to think differently and unlock greater personal potential, we want to give you a gift. Just click the link below and tell us where to send you 12 Ideas That Will Make You A Better Leader In 2022. Sign up to attend the MMoment II!  It will take place on Saturday, July 23, 2022 from 8am-3pm at ALX Community Waterfront, Alexandria, VA Join us for this intentional, purposeful investment in YOU; an intense and immersive, 1-day experience for ~50 national security professionals, both civilian and military. The MMoment is not just a conference or set of TED talks, but rather a reflective and interactive experience to inspire transformative leadership. Sign up here! In 2013, Joe Byerly thought something was missing in his journey to become a better leader. He wanted to create a place where leaders could share their hard-won lessons and help each other along the journey. He started looking in the place where he captured his own lessons, quotes from books, and ideas for the future –his green notebook. Today, From the Green Notebook is run by a team of passionate professionals who want to help others lead with the best version of themselves. Get a copy of Joe's new book, My Green Notebook: Know Thyself Before Changing Jobs.    

We're celebrating 3 years of podcasting!   Thank you to all of you that listen to and support this show!   I want to specifically thank two groups of supporters, our Patreon members and those that have left a rating/review on Apple Pocasts or Spotify.  Your support goes a long way! Want to become a Patron of Intentional Leader?  You can support the podcast by donating $1, $2, $5 (or whatever you like!) on Patreon.  Sign up here! Want to help us continue to get great guests and grow this community?  Please leave a rating or review on Apple Podcasts here or on Spotify here. Today I get the mic flipped on me by my good friend Wes Cochrane.  Wes joined me on Episode 84 when we interviewed his brother, Graham Cochrane, and as you’ll hear during this conversation, Wes was part of the reason I started this show in the first place.  So why am I doing this unique format today?  Well, three main reasons.  First, I’ve had many of you ask when I was going to get behind the mic like I did the first 20+ episodes and share what I’ve been learning.  Second, this is a natural point of transition for me as my family and I are packing up to move in the next month and I’ll be changing jobs.  It’s a natural moment of reflection.  And, third, we’re approaching the 3 year anniversary of this podcast starting, and it seemed appropriate to take a moment to celebrate and discuss highlights from the past 3 years.  On this episode, I get a bit vulnerable about some of my struggles over the past few years, some key lessons I’ve learned interviewing 65 or so leaders from all walks of life, I try to define what self-leadership means to me and how it’s different than self-help, I answer some listener questions at the end, and much more.  I hope you enjoy this.  Let me know what you think please!  And whether you want more episodes in this format.